Wilhelm heidelmann



(No Model.) 7 I W. HEIDELMANN DEVICE FOR FEEDING ENVELOPES.

No. 443,093. Patented Dec. 23, 1890.

FFICE.

\VILHELM HEIDELMANN, OF STUTTGART, GERMANY.

DEVICE FOR FEEDING ENVELOPES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,093, dated December23, 1890.

Application filed May 27,1890. Serial No. 358,315. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILHELM HEIDELMANN, a subject of the Emperor ofGermany, residing at Stuttgart, Germany, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Devices for Feeding Envelopes, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for.

automatically lifting separate envelopes from a pile sufficiently forfeeding the same to the grippers of a printing-press.

The object of my invention is to provide a device in which the envelopesare grasped at one of their longitudinal edges, near the side edges andunder the open or sealed flap, and thus fed to the press for printing.By this arrangement the objection heretofore existing in envelopefeeding devices for printingpresses, whereby when the open flap wascaught under the sealed flap tliesaid devices would fail to operate anda stoppage of the machine was necessitated, is entirelyobviated.

In the apparatus heretofore employed for automatically feeding envelopesto printingpresses which are based on the idea of grasping theprojecting sealing-flap of the envelope by a suitable arrangement and todraw it forth from the pile and feed it to the press it is a frequentoccurrence that the flap adheres to the body of the envelope, or thepoint of the open flap becomes caught under that of the sealed flap, inboth of which cases the sealing-flap is prevented from depending fromthe body, and it becomes impossible to grasp the same. Such envelopesmust first be sepa rated from the pile by hand before the apparatus cancontinue in its operation, a considerable loss of time being the result.My apparatus entirely obviates this objection.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, Figures 1 and 2represent, respectively, a sectional side elevation and a frontelevation of an apparatus embodying my inven' tion, the parts beingshown as occupying the position after an envelope has been lifted fromthe pile Figs. 3 and 4, similar views, the parts being shown in theposition they occupy before an envelope is withdrawn. Figs. 5 and 6illustrate details of the apparatus.

The feeding of the envelope to be printed to the press is performed intwo steps and in such a manner that the same is by suitable devicesfirst pushed or shoved out of the pile sufficiently to be then graspedby the grippers t' t of the press, to be farther carried along. Myinvention resides in this lifting out of each separate envelope from thepile, and will now be described in detail.

The envelopes, as shown, preferably rest upon an inclined table b,having an upwardlyextending wall (it, against which the lower edges ofthe envelopes rest; but any suitable holder for the envelopes willanswer. The ejecting-slide c is arranged so as to reciprocate below thetable I) and grasp the lowermost envelope, thus feeding them out of theholder or table, this ejecting-slide 0 having two prongs 0' extendingalong both sides of table I) and embracing the same and provided on bothsides with the thin ejectingjaws (Z, which extend inwardly from theprongs c and above the table I), (see Figs. 1 and 3,) which areadjustable to correspondto the breadth of the envelopes held in theirpositions of adjustment by set-screws cl. These jaws have theformindicated in Fig. 6that is to say, they are beveled at their inneror forward sides, bent over to some extent, and sharpened to form aknife-edgeJ These knife-edges enter between the open flap or the sealedflap (the latter not adhering to the bodyforabout ten to fifteenmillimeters from the side edges) and the body, according as it isdesired to print along the one or the other longitudinal edge of theenvelope, when in the forward movement of the ejecting-slide c, by meansof the crank f, the jaws cl glide close to the back of the envelope. Anenvelope is thus advanced accurately and sufficiently to be grasped bythe grippers i 11 of the press, and thus carried to the printing-point.

In order to prevent the accidental advance of a number of envelopes atonce two fixed holders g are attached at the forward side of theapparatus, said holders being adjustable to correspond to the thicknessof the envelopes, so that only one envelope can pass the same, theothers being held back by the holders.

To diminish friction of the envelope to be 3. In an envelope-feedingdevice, the coinnination, with an enve1ope-holder,of a reciprocatingejeetingslide (1, provided with ejecting-jaws (I, having beveled innercorners bent upwardly and sharpened to form knife-edges, substantiallyas set; forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

\YILlI. IIICIDELMANN.

l'l'itnessesz AUGUST 1;. URANTZ, GUSTAV (moss.

